


The Cost of Experience

by Cat5713



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Graphic Wound Care, Some Fighting/Violence, T for Blood, Time is such a dad, sky is best brother
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:08:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27440212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cat5713/pseuds/Cat5713
Summary: For a hero so young, experience is something hard-earned. It comes at the price of trials, scars, injuries, and getting through it all. Wind may have had his adventures, but this one accompanied by his fellow chosen heroes proves to be much different than before. It's always good to have someone there to take care of things you can't.Rated T for graphic wound care and fighting. Only some blood.
Relationships: Sky & Wind (Linked Universe)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 77





	1. That From Above

The party had been traveling through the forests of Time's Hyrule for days now without a single sign of an enemy. It was highly suspicious but yet a much-needed respite.

But now, they could all tell something was amiss, someone had been here. The air was too quiet and the birds weren’t singing. Everything seemed to be holding its breath.

For Wind, the noises of the forest were strange, and the plain absence of them was stunning. Even across the Great Sea, there were always seagulls squawking and the sound of the waves lapping against the hull of his boat. Although, ominous silence is something he was all too familiar with.

Suddenly feeling cold, Wind wrapped his arms around his torso in an attempt at calming the shiver running itself up his spine. “I don’t like this.” Wind whispered over to Sky who walked next to him.

“I don’t either.” He whispered back, “Silence never means anything good, we all can feel it.”

Wind huffed, at least he wasn’t the only one who thought so. He looked up and around, taking in his surroundings. He spotted something up ahead.

Wild made his way to the front of the group to discuss with Time their next path as the current one was blocked by a rounded rock face, with its own level of woodland on top, that seemingly wrapped itself around a small clearing dotted with trees.

Following game trails oftentimes ended like this, but the sheer length of the overgrown ledge would have them lose a full day of travel to work their way around it. With all of their supplies running low and the closest town still days away, a good decision on a new trail was imperative. A wrong turn could slap them right back into the same position. With the geography of this place and the ample amount of mountains in the region, it was very likely to happen.

As Legend pulled out his maps, the three of them began pointing in different directions all over the place. While the decision was being made, everyone took the opportunity to rest for a few minutes. With the day entering dusk, everybody was tired, and he could hear Wild bring up the option of camping here for the night.

Abruptly, the hair along his arms and the back of his neck stood up on end and his stomach dropped. Wind suddenly shot his eyes up toward the top of the rock ledge and scanned in between the trees. He could sense it. Someone was watching him. Then, something shifted in the shadows above them. He very slowly, very quietly, drew the sword from his back.

Twilight must have seen it too, for he drew his sword as well with a soft scrape. As they met eyes knowingly, the rest of the group suddenly understood and didn’t bother to question their instinctive action. As everyone drew their blades, a clinking of armor could be heard. Suddenly the party was surrounded by Darknuts, both from in front and behind.

  
  


The group took their stances as the dark knights advanced. The heroes split up and aided each other in their duels with the enemies when they could, they had found it to be the most effective strategy.

“Sidestep! On the blade now… Good! Jump, flip, slice!” Wind instructed himself in his mind. He had skillfully flipped himself over the Darknut’s head and sliced off the breastplate at its weak leather straps in the back.

With a clang, the armor fell to the ground and Wind landed nimbly on his feet like a practiced, lithe feline.

Wrath blistered in the Darknut’s eyes, but Wind only grinned mischievously. The more irritated they got, the stupider their efforts became.

The knight swung downward at Wind’s crouching form, but the young boy rolled to the side and sliced skyward on the jump, slicing his enemy’s back. With a roar, the Darknut swung his unoccupied arm at the boy and met its mark, striking him on the side of the face and sending him hard to the ground.

The hit knocked the wind out of the boy, and the knight saw its opportunity. With a gasp, Wind rolled just out of the enemy’s sword’s reach, barely preventing fatal injury.

He hopped back up to his feet, much to the Darknut’s displeasure, and held his blade at the ready. As the knight swung at him again, Wind used the ginormous blade to his advantage. In one of his most favorite moves Wind jumped up and placed his feet on the sword’s fuller, and in one fluid, split-second motion launched himself upwards and over the Darknut’s stature. As he had used the blade as leverage, Wind landed softly on the balls of his feet and struck out with his own sword.

As Wind thrust his weapon forward, with the breastplate gone, the sword was allowed entrance through the knight’s spine. With a wet, solid, sickening,  _ squelch  _ the Phantom Sword split its way through the Darknut’s ribcage and the tip emerged from its chest.

With a wet gurgle, the Darknut fell forward, thumped to the ground, and stilled.

With an exhausted exhale, Wind wiped the sweat from his forehead, careful to avoid his bruising cheek. Wind scrunched his nose up against his face as he walked over the body, placing a foot on its backbone. He gripped his sword’s hilt and removed it from the corpse as quickly as he could. Ugh, goddesses, he hated that part.

As he cleaned his blade in the long, woodland grass, Wind noticed that everyone else was finishing off their battles as well. Beside him, he saw Sky check over the knight he’d fallen for anything of use.

“Strange,” He thought to himself as he looked over the battlefield with a frown, “I thought for sure something was above us, but these guys came from the sides-”

Wind heard it before he felt it. The familiar signature  _ whizz  _ of an arrow.

The abrupt eruption of pain raging through his abdomen completely shocked him, causing a strangled yelp to escape his lips. He took a couple of steps backward from the sudden impact and his legs faltered, sending him to the ground and onto his knees.

Wind’s hands immediately went to the wound, and he bent forward to curl into himself in an attempt to stop the pain coursing through his torso. With one hand to the ground, supporting him, he felt the tears of pain promptly start to form in the corners of his eyes. Wind squeezed them shut and instead tried to straighten himself upwards to see what had happened to him. Moving his hands away, his eyes widened into alarmed and frightened saucers.

An arrow from somewhere had hit him straight through the stomach, leaking blood onto his ocean-blue tunic and hands, and now the feathered shaft stuck out from him like some sort of savage spear. A breath shuttered out of him as he heard running footsteps and someone calling his name, it sounded too muffled by his own panicked heartbeat to be real.

Wind felt the pressure of trained hands on his shoulders and he looked up to see Sky kneeling down in front of him and gently jostling him into reality. As he locked eyes with him, Sky’s face visually paled and his ears slightly drooped at the sight of the fear and pain prevalent in Wind’s wide, dish-like eyes.

“What… what happened?” Sky’s eyes searched his face for any sort of real answer and he began to look him over. Almost immediately Sky noticed just what had happened to his friend and called out for Time.

Wind felt everyone else suddenly stop what they were doing and put eyes on him. 

His breath hitched in his throat as the last of the shock wore off and the raw fierceness of the injury’s pain gripped him. Wind clenched his teeth and his vision began to blur. He was losing it. He couldn’t get enough air in as his breathing became shallow. Wind bent over toward the ground again, gripping the grass below him in fistfuls, trying to stifle the pain.

Time was suddenly next to him, placing one had on his chest and the other on his back, trying to straiten Wind back up in a sitting position. Wind tried to let him, but his body was stiff with the aggravation of the pain. Eyes still shut and teeth clenched, he tried desperately to relax as he was up and strait again.

He heard someone else by him now, and then Time’s voice instructing the other and then shooing him away.

“Hey, look at me.” He heard Time, not unkindly. Wind forced his eyes open to now see Time kneeling in front of him, sword off to the side. Must have been dropped in his haste.

“Wind, you need to let us help you. Deep breaths, find something to focus on.” Time instructed with a look of knowing in his eyes.

Wind nodded.

“Let’s see what we’re working with here. Sky, help me with his tunic without harming him further.” Time directed.

Sky, now behind Wind, helped to maneuver the bloodied garment as quickly as they could without disturbing the arrow.

He knew he should be cold in the dying light of the evening completely topless, but Wind was sweating. He could feel every inch of his nerves on fire. His body wasn’t shaking from the cold as Time tossed his tunic to the side.

  
“ _ Oh my Hylia. _ ” He heard Sky behind him, “Uh, Time? This… might be worse than we thought.”


	2. Just Breath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I had uploaded this chapter once already, but I didn't like my decision to not include the ending. So here it is in full! If you've read it before, I recommend reading it again because a few changes have been made elsewhere as well :D
> 
> Enjoy!

Time shot Sky a worried glance with the question in his eyes.

Sky swallowed hard, “The arrow’s all the way through.”

Wind felt his stomach lurch and he lost his breath again. Time caught him as he reeled forward, holding him still.

“Sky, go get our medic.”

Just as Time had directed, Sky scrambled off to nab Hyrule from the group, their best with healing magic. 

“Wind, breath.” Time instructed, almost pleading, to the boy in front of him. Wind was growing pale in the evening light, shaking from the effort of calming himself and trying to ignore the agony raging through his body. “You are going to be fine, Hyrule will be here in a moment, just breath.”

True to Time’s word, Hyrule was there in a second, plopping himself down in front of Wind and next to Time. 

Sky returned to the back of Wind, letting the young hero lean painfully up against him in order to keep him upward.

“What- How did this happen?” Hyrule asked breathlessly in shock and looked to the other two with him to confirm what exactly they were working with.

“We don’t know,” Time admitted, struggling to keep his resolve, “but somehow he was shot and the arrow found its way out the other side.”

Hyrule paled and his ears pinned themselves to his head, as if trying to hide from the implications of Time’s words.

He waved him away, “Sky and I will handle this. Just- just help the others find some potions and fairies. Wild’s already tearing through his things. Plus, keep them over there, we don’t need an audience.”

Time obliged and rushed over to the others, not without a worried and mournful glance at their youngest, leaving Sky and Hyrule alone to do their work.

Hyrule made a quick sweep of the injury, and it wasn’t good. He noticed the arrow sat in a slight angle, making it more challenging to pull out directly and speedily. Not only that, but the blood that seeped steadily from the wound was unnaturally dark, thick, and sticky, and there was a lot of it. Wind was losing blood more so than he should be for an injury like this. Around the arrow’s entrance the skin there was swollen and full of the abnormal fluid. Hyrule’s breath let out in a shutter as he knew what that could only suggest. The arrow had pierced Wind through the gut, and it would only make the extraction even more painful.

Precious time was ticking away, they had to act quickly.

But of course, there was the other problem. It would be impossible to pull the arrow out without first removing the head.

“Sky, trade me spots.”

He nodded, and moved in front of Wind to give Hyrule the position he needed.

Hyrule grimaced. They had been correct in their call, the arrowhead had found its way through Wind’s body to sick out the other side with only a small bit of shaft following it. The arrow tip was slender as well, fraying out in small barbs at the base. Not only that, but the shaft itself was somewhat longer than a normal arrow's should be. It had obviously been made to inflict this sort of injury.

He couldn’t help but notice how narrowly Wind had escaped immediate death. If whoever shot the arrow, _ this awful blasted arrow _ , had caught him a bit more to the left, it would have struck his spine.

Hyrule slipped his knife out from his belt.

“Whatever you do, Sky, don’t let him move.” Hyrule said with a slight shake still in his voice. He knew what he was going to have to do, and so did Sky. “ _ Why, goddesses. Why did it have to be Wind? _ ” Hyrule swore to himself.

He slid his fingers under the head of the arrow, careful not to cut himself as the weapon was covered in Wind’s blood, and braced himself.

Wind flinched and gasped at the feeling of the arrow shaft slipping within his body. The reaction of his muscles tried to fling him forward, but Sky was there to keep him stable and still. Although, before he knew it, the sensation was over and he let out a choked breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. With it though, fresh tears from the blast of pain rolled down his cheeks in wet streaks. Now, more than before, he leaned against Sky’s steadiness. Wind felt weak and tired, fighting to keep his eyes open.

Behind him, Hyrule sliced off the arrowhead as discreetly as he could, but Wind most definitely felt it. The jostling of the shaft still stuck through him sent shock waves through his body, causing a cry to escape him and his body to tense up violently.

Wind squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth, tried to focus on something, anything. But the thought and feeling of the arrow sliding against his insides kept forcing its way to the front of his mind. He swayed with the feeling of nausea.

“ _ Ughh. I’m gonna be sick _ .” Wind half thought half mumbled to himself.

Wind’s breathing now ended in slight squeaks as he tried desperately to keep his lungs working and full, but his body seemed to be plotting against him.

Hyrule held the arrowhead in his palm and slipped it into one of his many pouches. “Trade me spots again.” Hyrule instructed as he rose to his feet and Sky obliged immediately.

Hyrule leaned Wind up against Sky as he took his spot in front of the hero once more. Sky knew what was required and held Wind’s shoulders again to keep him from moving.

Just then, footsteps could be heard trotting up to them. Hyrule turned to see Wild with a fairy and a couple of bottled potions in his arms.

“This was all we had left.” he said, almost apologetically, handing the supplies to Hyrule.

He nodded in thanks and noticed Wild’s eyes flitting to the injured Wind in front of them. He swallowed hard.

“He’s going to be fine.” Hyrule responded to him, noticing as Wild’s mind clearly ran rampant with concern. He hoped it didn’t come out too strained, he was having a hard time believing it himself.

Wild, having a hard time tearing his eyes from their youngest, meets Hyrule’s gaze and nods. With that, and one final worried expression, he makes his way back to the other group.

Hyrule turned back to the matter at hand.

“Wind, Wind please look at me.” Hyrule directed and almost choked at how desperately the boy tried to do so, and how long it took him to succeed.

With monumental effort, Wind slowly opened his exhausted eyes to look at Hyrule. His breath immediately quickening as he was brought out of his mind at Hyrule’s request, but did his best to keep his eyes on him and listen.

Hyrule prepared himself for what he was about to say to this young hero in front of him, hoping this was the last time something like this would have to be said to him. 

“We have the supplies, but I can’t heal you until I take the arrow out.” Hyrule took a deep breath at the look in Wind’s eyes. He knew it was coming, but he couldn’t hide his fear. Hyrule swallowed, he couldn’t show him that he felt the same. He caught Sky’s gaze before he continued, it was a look of readiness tainted with anxiety. “I’m going to need you to stay as still as you can. The less you move, the less it will hurt.”

Wind closed his eyes in acceptance and braced himself.

Hyrule took in a breath to calm the nervousness and anxiety bubbling up inside his chest, calming his hands and mind.

Being as careful as he could Hyrule began removing the arrow at an agonizingly, but crucially, slow pace.

As the arrow shaft began sliding through his body again, Wind immediately felt the pain and nausea jolt through him once more. His stomach rolled and the pain was like lightning burning through his nerves and blazing his fingertips to a char. It felt as if his insides were being shredded and torn out along with the arrow.

He let out a wail of pain through clenched teeth, breath choking in his throat as his lungs protested. Clenching his eyes shut, tears leaking out in agony, Wind tried desperately to calm himself. Anything to distract his mind from the pain coursing through him, he tried to watch the colors blooming under his eyelids, but he couldn’t keep them closed. 

His lungs wouldn’t accept the air around him, squeaking and wheezing in an attempt to keep up with his rapid breaths. Wind’s chest ached with his desperate efforts, it was as if someone was sitting on top of him.

Something switched in Wind’s mind. He had to run, he couldn’t fight this foe inside him any longer.

Wind’s muscles became stiff and ridged in strain and he tried to arc his spine to writhe himself away from what was being  _ pulled  _ out of him. His mind ran with unfinished thoughts that he couldn’t quite grasp and he let out another incomplete cry.

He heard a voice from behind him, but couldn’t listen. The firm hands on his shoulders kept him from escaping, and the steadiness kept him anchored. Wind pushed up against the other behind him, anything to  _ just get away _ .

Wind was starting to become woozy from the exhaustion and pain, he could feel his body start to go limp. He couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer, dark inky spots started to dance across his vision like hypnotizing raindrops.

Then, his gut lurched as the last of the arrow was finally pulled from him and he inhaled a broken gasp. 

The familiar golden light of a fairy’s healing began to surround him, Wind could feel his insides mending themselves back together and his muscles begin to relax. It was like a breath of rich fresh air. 

Comforting darkness surrounded him, and his body fell slack against Sky behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you are, the thrilling end to our previous cliffhanger! 
> 
> It was my purpose to describe Wind's experience so that you could feel along with him, if you're queasy about that kinda thing, I sorry! I just had to do it. XD I do hope you enjoyed this mega dose of angst ;P
> 
> The next chapter will bring this all together and get to the point of why this was important to Wind's story. It will be out soon!


	3. A Hero's Plight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everybody buckle up, it's Big Feelings Time.

The blackness engulfing him was warm and comforting, like a fluffy woolen blanket wrapped around his shoulders and tucked under his chin.

Wind sighed contently and snuggled himself closer into the warmth.

He could feel his breath run in and out in full puffs, filling his lungs and inflating his chest. It felt as if he was sleeping next to a fire on a cold winter’s morning, cold outside but comfortably warm underneath the pillowy covers.

Wind felt like he could sleep like this forever, but he found that his legs were tucked underneath him and were starting to become stiff and fidgety. With a quick, sharp intake of breath, he cracked his eyes open to try and chase the sleep from his mind.

Suddenly, every likely sense flooded into his body at once, causing his eyes to close again and a groan to escape through his nose.

His senses picked up everything, like a bloodhound on route. Being passed out and deep asleep only moments ago, his body couldn’t help but take everything in around him again in one large flash of sensory.

Wind relaxed a bit, soaking it all in. The crackling and must of an honest fire, the chirps of far off crickets, and the pleasant waft of newly prepared food.

He opened his eyes again, a little wider this time, to see what appeared to be around him.

Wind noticed he really was wrapped up in a cozy blanket under the stars and not far from the fire, but he was mostly upright against Sky. Everyone else of the party was gathered about the fire, enjoying the recently prepared dinner.

His mind still seemed to be filled with fog, and Wind couldn’t seem to remember  _ why in Hyrule  _ he was sleeping when everyone else was eating.

Now noticing Wind stir, Sky looked down with a smile and a nod. “Hey there, glad to see you awake Little Sailor. How’re you feeling?”

With that, Wind decided to unfurl his legs from his body and bring his hands to his face to rub the sleep from his eyes. Not only was he stiff, but as he began to move his legs away from himself, his face scrunched up in pain as his abdomen cruelly reminded him of why he was out in the first place.

He groaned again and leaned back into Sky’s side as his still-healing injury cried out at his movement.

Sky hummed, “I thought as much. How about we go get you cleaned up?”

It was true, Wind was still topless and had spots of blood poking out from the bandages around his abdomen. He figured they hadn’t wanted to disturb him too much.

Wind nodded.

As the others fell quiet around them, Wind felt his ears burn a bit with embarrassment as Sky had to help him up.

With some difficulty, that he refused to show, Wind made his way a bit downhill with Sky towards the good-sized stream they had crossed earlier that day.

There, the cool water was inviting against his skin as Wind began to edge himself into the stream’s slight current. It was the refreshing type of coolness as well, biting into your nerves enough to wake you up a bit.

As Sky busied himself, Wind waded into the stream still topless and shoeless. The steadily flowing water was somewhat less deep as his knees were high, and the clearness of it reflected the stars above perfectly.

Wind began to rinse his very matted and very sweaty hair with the creek’s chillyness, letting the cool water drip down his face. The bitter nip of the brook reminded him of home, and he stood to watch the stars dance across the current of the water, sighing in comfort with a hint of homesickness.

His attention drifted to the badges bound around his midriff, and Wind all but scowled and sighed. Now with most of his deafening pain gone, Wind, with an odd sense of pained longing, brought his hand up to the side of his face as his skin there remembered how the Darknut had struck him.

With one more downward glance, Wind began to undo his bandages to clean himself. His wound was no longer nearly as raw and tender than he was expecting. Hyrule must have given him a potion or two once the fairy had taken care of the majority of the internal damage. Whatever he’d given him, Wind was immensely grateful. 

His once life-threatening injury was already healed over with new pink, delicate skin across the quite large circular area of the former puncture. 

Although, that’s not to say the healed-over wound didn’t still throb with every movement. Even after being given potion, he was still healing.

“ _ Now that’s gonna leave a scar. _ ” Wind thought with a wince. Even though the wound was mending well, there was no way that it was going to look pretty afterwards.

With a shrug and a hint of relief, Wind resumed washing the leftover crusted blood from his torso.

Making his way back over to the bank, satisfied with the washing he had given himself, Wind dangled his legs over the edge to let his feet drift. Watching the shifting skies above, he hugged one leg to his chest to let his chin rest against his knee, not completely painless. His gaze shifted downward to watch the water dance across his toes, his eyes clouded with a slight shadowed gloom.

Wind’s ears pricked up at the sound of soft footsteps coming closer, though he remained like he was as if to deter the oncomer and to encourage him to leave the hero be with his own thoughts.

Sky sat wordlessly, but not uncomfortably, down beside him. Wind glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, only to turn his face away from his fellow traveller.

They sat there beside the warbling stream together, simply listening.

Just as Wind could hardly take the silence any longer, Sky asked a question the young hero would never have guessed would be asked, especially not now.

“Did I ever tell you about the mark Demise left on me?”

Now turning his attention to the one beside him, Wind watched Sky with interest as the hero continued to search the stars above. “No…”

Sky hummed, closing his eyes.

“It’s the type of scene I’m sure you’re familiar with, the great enemy before you in his full rage.” Sky began, attention still upturned.

Wind nodded slightly. Yes, he knew. He knew too well.

Sky continued, “His hatred burns from his body like heat from a fire, sword poised, his mind set on one thought.”

He sighed, “Master Sword clashing his own, I fought against him for what seemed like ages. I slashed at him, finding the weaknesses and holes in his defence. It worked, all until Demise learned my own technique.”

Wind’s eyes widened as he realized what Sky was about to share with him.

Now turning his eyes to him, the Chosen Hero looked Wind dead in the face, “Demise struck me across my chest and ribs, almost ending me then.”

Wind looked away in silent shock, Sky was always the most optimistic and carefree of them all, he’d no idea Sky could be this solemn… this menacing.

Sky’s eyes softened with his tone, “You see Wind, I almost died that day, and I have the scar to prove it.”

They fell silent again, the sounds of crickets and the creek settled in to keep their minds company.

Wind didn’t know what to say, he didn’t know what he was supposed to say. He could feel his eyes start to cloud with emotion, he watched the water below as if to calm himself.

“I’m sorry Wind”

He looked up at Sky, surprised.

“I’m sorry you had to experience something like that. I know what it’s like to fight the pain, to be in between consciousness and reality. I’m so sorry.”

In the most roundabout way possible, Sky had shown Wind that he wasn’t alone, and that he was sorry for something he couldn't have stopped. Wind realized, with Sky staying with him through the whole ordeal, must have pained the Hero of the Skies more than he’d thought.

No longer able to contain it, a few tears found their way down Wind’s cheeks as he accepted an embrace from Sky.

As a shaky breath shuttered out of him Sky held him a little tighter, like a devoted big brother, and the young Hero of Winds didn’t mind it one bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, thus concludes poor Wind's flirtation with danger!
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed the outcome, I might write a bonus chapter later, we'll see.
> 
> I'll probably write some more goodies in the future, but in the meantime Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year!
> 
> See ya in the next one!


End file.
